Knee and leg support



y 9, 1967 A. L. SCHULTZ 3,318,305

KNEE AND LEG SUPPORT Filed April 22, 1965 Z5 INVENTOR,

mawmsz/mz rz ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 3,318,305 KNEE AND LEG SUPPORT August L. Schultz, 415 N. Lawler St., Mitchell, S. Dak. 57301 Filed Apr. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 450,136 Claims. (Cl. 128-80) This invention relates to knee and leg muscle support devices and particularly to a mechanical appliance to aid in the treatment of Osgood-Schleutters disease.

The large muscle in the front of the thigh is called the quadriceps extensor and comprises four different muscles, named the rectus femoris, the vastus lateralis, the vastus medialis, and the vastus intermedius. These muscles converge into a common ligament called the ligamentum patella which encloses the patella or knee cap as a sesmoid bone with the lower portion of the ligamentum patella, called the patellar tendon being connected with the tibial tubercle, which is an excrescence on the upper end of the tibia, which of course is commonly called the shin bone. The tibial tubercle, which is between two and three inches below the patella or knee cap does not become completely calcified until the individual is fully grown. Until such time of full growth, the tibial tubercle is connected to the tibia by cartilage.

Many young persons, particularly those in the adolescent age groups who are extremely active and engage in athletic contests, suffer from the separation of the tibial tubercle from the tibia. This defect, which is called Osgood-Schleutters disease, is a painful and disabling condition for which many attempts have been made to alleviate.

It is accordingly a primary objectof the instant invention to provide a mechanical appliance useful in the treatment of Osgood-Schleutters disease.

Another object of this invention is to exert a constant predetermined pressure on the injured area to facilitate regrowth of the separated tibial tubercle and tibia.

Another object of this invention is to exert a constant pressure on the injured area regardless of whether the patient is in a standing, sitting, reclining or walking position.

It is another object of this invention to provide a leg and knee muscle support for applying pressure directly above the tibial tubercle and simultaneously for limiting the movement of the patella.

It is another object of this invention to provide a knee and leg muscle supportfor applying pressure directly over the tibial tubercle and means for adjusting the pressure so applied.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a patients leg showing a knee and leg muscle support made in accordance with the principles of this invention thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a rear view of the device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an interior view of the device shown in FIGURE 2, such as will be seen when the support is turned inside-out;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view of the support shown in FIGURE 1 taken along the line 44 viewing in the direction of the arrows, omitting the patients leg and the distortions in the support resulting therefrom for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 1 in the direction of 3,318,305 Patented May 9, 1967 the arrows; showing the means of securing the tension means together;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines 66 in the direction of the arrows as shown in FIGURE 1 showing the means for securing the tensioning means to the sleeve.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like elements throughout the several views thereof, there is indicated generally at 10 the leg of a patient suffering from Osgood-Schleutters disease. As previously discussed, the leg of any individual comprises a quadriceps extensor 12 converging centrally into a ligamentum patella 14 which encompasses a patella 16. A patellar tendon 18 connects ligamentum patella 14 to a tibial tubercle (not shown) which has become separated fr-om tibia 20.

Indicated generally at 22 is a support made in accordance with the principles of the instant invention and comprising an elastic sleeve 24 which may have both a vertical and horizontal elastic characteristic, but preferably has a horizontal elastic property and a vertical nonelastic property. Sleeve 24 is generally of frusto-conical shape having an upper circumferential edge 26 and a lower smaller circumferential edge 28.

Conventionally forming a portion of the upper edge of sleeve 24 is an additional elastic band 30 which may either be a part of sleeve 24 or an additional strip of material secured thereto. Likewise the upper and lower circumferential edges 26, 28 may each be equipped with a peripheral elastic band 32, 34 secured to surfaces 26, 28 by any conventional means such as stitching 36, 38.

Secured interiorly of sleeve 24 and closely adjacent lower peripheral edge 28 as by gluing, stitching, or the like, is a first cushion indicated generally at 40 having a lower semicircular portion 42 and an upper smoothly convex surface 44. It is to be understood that first cushion 40 may be of any desired configuration and material, but the substantially egg-shaped or oval countour shown is preferred as is a firm sponge rubber material. It should be apparent from FIGURE 1 and the relative size range of individual knees that cushion 40 is between about one inch and about three inches in maximum linear extent and is between inch and inch in thickness.

A second cushion indicated generally at 46 comprises a thin sheet of material, preferably firm sponge rubber, having a wide upper portion 48 bounded on three sides by an upper edge 50 substantially parallel to upper peripheral surface 26 and a pair of slightly converging sides 52, 54 which extend longitudinally about onethird of the length of the sleeve 24. An intermediate portion 56 of cushion 46 is bounded by a pair of rapidly converging sides 58, 60. Lower portion 62 of cushion 46 overlies first cushion 40 and is bounded by a pair of parallel edges 64, 66 and a lower semicircular surface 68.

An aperture 70 comprising an upper roughly semicircular edge 72. and a lower substantially triangular edge 74 is formed in the center of second cushion 46 for the reception of the patella of the patient. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, second cushions 46 is positioned so that its central axis overlies the central axis of first cushion 40 with lower portion 62 of second cushion 46 overlying first cushion 40, thus providing a smooth interior surface to obviate any patient discomfort created by first cushion 40.

Secured a short distance above lower edge 28 of sleeve 24 is an adjustable tensioning means indicated generally at 76 comprising an inner strip of material 78 having a plurality of outwardly facing small looped fibers 80. Strip 7'8 overlies first cushion 40 as shown in FIGURE 1 from one edge 82 to rearward edge 84 as shown in FIG- 22 up the leg and over the knee.

In the use of the knee and leg support of the instant invention, the patient sulfering from Osgood-Schleutters disease should remove the shoe in order to pull support Upper elastic band 30 is drawn over the patients knee until aperture 70 overlies patella 16. As shown in FIGURE 1, aperture 70 appears considerably larger than patella 16, but it is understood that this is merely for purposes of clarity of illustration, since in practice aperture 70 will be formed to closely fitthe patients patella to inhibit the movement thereof. 6

When aperture 70 overlies patella 16 first cushion 40 and lower section 62 .of second cushion 46 will overlie the tibial tuberclewhich has .become separated. The separation of upper and lower strips 78, 86 of tensioning means 76 will leave only the inherent horizontal elastic characteristic of sleeve 24 to press cushion 40 against the separated portions. The refastening of upper and lower strips 78, 86 of fastening means 76- at suitable distances may be used to increase the pressure on th separated parts.

As used from time to time hereafter, the first cushion support refers to those elements interior of sleeve 24 adjacent the separated tibial tubercle while a second cushion support refers to those portions interior of sleeve 24 adjacentthe patella of the patient. I

From the foregoing, it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved knee and leg support, which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may, be made of this inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiment herein'before shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

, I claim:

1 A knee support comprising: an elastic frusto-conical sleeve having an inner and outer surface, an upper larger and a lower smaller peripheral edge, a horizontal stretch characteristic, and a vertical non-stretch characteristic;

a first cushion comprising a relatively thick resilient pad of a geometric configuration secured to said inner surface adjacent said lower edge;

. a second cushion comprising a fiat relatively thin pad of resilient material secured to said inner surface, said second cushion comprising a lower portion overlying and covering said first cushion, an upper portion of greater width than said lower portion, and an intermediate portion connecting said upper portion to said lower portion, said upper and intermediate portions forming an aperture above said first cushion.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said geometric configuration is egg-shaped.

3.'The structure of claim 2 wherein said aperture is substantially egg-shaped.

4. A mechanical appliance for simultaneously supporting the patella and exerting a predetermined pressure in the area of the tibial tubercle and tibia of the user, comprising:

an elastic sleeve shaped to fit snugly over the knee and the leg portion subjacent the knee of the user; a cushion support inside the sleeve proximate the upper edge thereof, said cushion having an aperture therein for receiving the patella of the patient and maintaining the patella substantially fixed in said sleeve; and a cushion support, having a thickness substantially greater than the previously named cushion support, inside the sleeve proximate the lower edge thereof for overlying the area of the tibial tubercle and the tibia for exerting an inward pressure thereon;

whereby the regrowth of a separated tibial tubercle and tibia is assisted by said pressure.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said aperture formed by said second cushion support is oval-shaped.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein said first cushion support is substantially oval-shaped.

7. The device of claim 4 wherein said sleeve is frustoconical in shape and has a horizontal elastic characteristic and a vertical non-elastic characteristic.

8. The device of claim 4 including means on said outer surface adjacent said lower edge for adjusting the tension of the lower portion of said elastic sleeve.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said adjusting means comprises a first horizontal strip of non-elastic material releasably secured to said outer surface and overlying said first cushion support.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said outer surface comprises a second. strip of non-elastic material carrying a plurality of outwardly facing loops, said first strip comprising a series of downwardly facing hooks for engaging said outwardly facing loops of said second strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 13,171,053 1/1887 Morgan 54-82 1,092,836 4/1914 Hart 1 l28165 1,388,772 8/1921 Sheehan 128-165 1,622,211 3/1927. Sheehan 128165 2,311,483 2/1943 Smith 128 2,641,761 6/1953 Schultz 12s-s0 3,046,981 7/1962- Biggs et al. 128-80 3,074,400 1/1963 Schulman 12s s0 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

I. W. HINEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A KNEE SUPPORT COMPRISING: AN ELASTIC FRUSTO-CONICAL SLEEVE HAVING AN INNER AND OUTER SURFACE, AN U PPER LARGER AND A LOWER SMALLER PERIPHERAL EDGE, A HORIZONTAL STRETCH CHARACTERISTIC, AND A VERTICAL NON-STRETCH CHARACTERISTIC; A FIRST CUSHION COMPRISING A RELATIVELY THICK RESILIENT PAD OF A GEOMETRIC CONFIGURATION SECURED TO SAID INNER SURFACE ADJACENT SAID LOWER EDGE; A SECOND CUSHION COMPRISING A LOWER PORTION OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SECURED TO SAID INNER SURFACE, SAID SECOND CUSHION COMPRISING A LOWER PORTION OVERLYING AND COVERING SAID FIRST CUSHION, AND PORTION PORTION OF GREATER WIDTH THAN SAID LOWER PORTION, AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION CONNECTING SAID UPPER PORTION TO SAID LOWER PORTION, SAID UPPER AND INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS FORMING AN APERTURE ABOVE SAID FIRST CUSHION. 